1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computers, and more particularly, to replica identification and collision avoidance in file system replication.
2. Description of the Related Art
In today's society, computer systems are commonplace. Computer systems may be found in the workplace, at home, or at school. Computer systems may include data storage systems, or disk storage systems, to process and store data. One such process is data replication. Replicated data systems may externalize various logical data storage entities, such as files, data objects, backup images, data snapshots or virtual tape cartridges. One type of replication is file system replication. File system replication involves maintaining a copy (replica) of a file on a remote storage that may be updated locally. Despite many benefits offered from file system replication, there are accompanying limitations that negatively affect replication efficiency, system performance, data consistency, and additional challenges.